Locking device

ABSTRACT

A locking device (1), especially suitable for clamping onto motor vehicle wheels. It consists of a generally elongate lock case (2) and a first and second grip arm (3, 4), each connected to one end of the lock case. The grip arms (3, 4) are designed to grip from opposite sides at least partly around the edge of the wheel so that the lock case (2) lies essentially parallel to the axis of the wheel. The first grip claw (4) is slideably received in the lock case (2). The novelty of the invention resides in that in the lock case (2) there is provided a toothed bar (11) connected at one end to one of the grip claws (3), which, when the lock is in a locked state, engages with a check pawl (14). The check pawl (14) is operatively connected to the second grip claw (4). The lock case may also be equipped with a spring (17) for drawing together the two grip claws (3, 4).

The present invention relates to a locking device which is especiallysuitable for clamping onto a wheel in accordance with the in claims.

A locking device of this kind is highly suitable for locking around awheel. It can thus be used as a theft-proof device as it will not bepossible to drive a car with a locking device of this kind mounted onone of the wheels. It is also suitable as a so-called "wheel clamp" usedby traffic wardens to prevent an incorrectly parked car from being moveduntil the parking charge has been paid.

A device of this kind is known from U.S. Pat. No. 1,819,813, whichteaches a locking device consisting of two halves, wherein one of thehalves is moveable in relation to the other by turning a threaded bolt.To turn the bolt, which is enclosed in a housing, there is provided ahexagonal head which is in engagement with one end of the bolt. Thehexagonal head is displaceable in the longitudinal direction into thehousing, so that when it is in its innermost position it is notaccessible from outside for turning the bolt. The hexagonal head islockable in this position.

This device is extremely troublesome to manipulate. To adjust the gapbetween the grip claws, one must turn the threaded bolt, which thusscrews the grip claws towards or away from one another. To do this, onemust use a suitable tool designed to engage with the hexagonal head.Putting the locking device on and taking it off the wheel thereforetakes an unnecessarily long time. This may lead to the locking devicebeing left in the car instead of being used.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,508,547 makes known a locking device for the samepurpose, which consists of two halves hinged to one another.

This device is suitable for one wheel dimension only, as the spacebetween the two halves in the locked position is fixed. It is true thatthe device is easier to use than the aforementioned device, but one hasto be extremely painstaking when putting the device on so as to ensurethat it is in the right position. Moreover, both this and theaforementioned locking device require two-handed manipulation.

The object of the present invention is to provide a locking device,preferably for mounting on a wheel, which is far easier to manipulatethan the previously known locking devices, and which can be used for anywheel dimension within a very large range.

This is achieved by the features which are disclosed below. By means ofthe device according to the invention, the grip claws can be pulledapart from one another by hand when the device is not locked. This canbe done in a very simple manner in that one of the grip claws is placedbehind the wheel and the other claw is pulled out and placed on theother side of the wheel. The device is now placed about the edge of thewheel, and the grip claws can subsequently be thrust together,preferably by means of a tension spring. The locking device is thenlocked in this position. The locking position can be adjusted almoststeplessly, which means that the locking device is able to cover allwheel dimensions within the minimum space between the grip claws and themaximum lockable space.

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference tothe accompanying figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates the locking device mounted on a car wheel;

FIG. 2 is a plane view of the locking device, with a first embodiment ofthe internal details of the locking system indicated;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the locking device according to

FIG. 2, also here with the internal details indicated;

FIG. 4 shows the locking device seen from the opposite side to thatillustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates a second embodiment of the locking system;

FIG. 6 is a plane view of the locking system according to FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7A is a left-hand end view of the outer member 7 of the lockingsystem of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7B is a front view of the outer member 7 of FIG. 7A partiallybroken away, and in partial cross-section.

FIG. 7C is a left-hand end view of the inner member 8 of the lockingsystem of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7D is a front view of the inner member 8 of FIG. 7C.

FIG. 7E is a right-hand end view of the inner member 8 of FIGS. 7C and7D.

FIGS. 1 to 4 show a locking device, generally designated by means ofreference numeral 1. The locking device consists of a generally elongatelock case 2 and two grip claws 3 and 4, respectively. The locking devicecan be locked with the aid of a key 5. It may be equipped with acarrying handle 6, which also serves to make it easier to put on thelocking device 1. The grip claw 4 is slideably received in the lock case2 in a way that is described immediately below.

The lock case 2 consists of an outer member 7 and an inner member 8. Theouter member 7 is connected to the grip claw 3 at one end thereof. Theinner member 8 is connected to the grip claw 4 in the same way. Themembers 7 and 8 are preferably generally cylindrical with cylindricalbores 9 and 10. The inner member 8 is received in the bore 9 of theouter member. The cylinder bores 9 and 10 are concentric and are also inconcentric relation with a toothed bar 11, which thus is located alongthe common central axis 12 of the cylinder bores. The members 7 and 8are capable of being turned relative to one another when the claw 4 isin its outermost position. The claw 4 may be equipped at the outer endthereof with a stop which engages with the end edge of the outer member7 when the claw is swung outward relative to the member 7. To guide theclaw 4, the outer member 7 is equipped with a guide edge 24. This guideedge prevents the outward swinging of the claw 4 when this is in itsinnermost position and intermediate positions.

Toothed grooves 13 are formed on the toothed bar 11. The grooves 13 aredesigned to engage with a check pawl 14, which is operatively connectedto the inner member 8. To operate the check pawl, there is a locking bar15 which extends from the check pawl to a lock cylinder 16 at the outerend of the inner member 8. The lock cylinder 16 can be operated by meansof a key 5.

To make it easier to draw the locking device together around the wheel,a spring 17 is provided in the lock case 2, which is connected to theouter ends of members 7 and 8, respectively.

A preferred embodiment of the locking system is illustrated in FIGS. 5to 7 for the reciprocal locking of members 7 and 8. Here, the check pawl14 has a different design. It is equipped with a hole 18 through whichthe locking bar 15 extends. Furthermore, the inner member 8 is equippedwith a cap 19 at its inner end. The check pawl 14 is pivotally connectedto this cap by means of, for example, a stud 20. By designing the hole18 and the part 21 of the locking bar which acts against the insidethereof in a complementary fashion, the turning of the locking bar 15can be made to turn the check pawl 14 in towards the toothed bar 11 andinto one of the grooves 13. This may, for example, be achieved in thatthe locking bar 15 is equipped with an eccentric at part 21.

With this embodiment, a more powerful locking effect between the toothedbar 13 and the pawl 14 is achieved, in that the forces which aretransferred to the pawl 14 are taken up on the inside of the cap 19.Improved guiding of the locking bar 15, which is mounted in a hole 22 inthe cap 19, is also obtained. Part 21 may also be supported by a recess23 around the hole 22.

Although the cap 19 in FIG. 6 is shown as generally crescent-shaped inFIG. 6, it may, of course, be circular in shape with a hole for thespring 17. The cap 19 is fixed on the member 8 by means of, for example,set screws, an adhesive or a weld. The toothed bar 11 is receivedpreferably in a threaded hole in the member 7. It may be glued intoplace here to ensure that it does not become detached over time. Thespring 17 is mounted preferably in that the end portions which projectstraight out along the longitudinal axis of the spring are insertedthrough holes in the end walls of respective members 7 and 8. The endportions are thus bent and may optionally be placed in grooves on theoutside of the members 7 and 8. The grooves containing the end portionsmay optionally be covered with a plate or quite simply a label, as theloosening of the spring will be of no significance whatsoever for thelocking of the locking device.

The toothed bar and check pawl may, of course, also be mounted in theopposite way, i.e., that the toothed bar may be mounted to a fixedconnection to member 8 and the pawl to a fixed connection to member 7.The locking device is not limited only to use for locking around wheels,but can, of course, be used for locking all kinds of articles. Forexample, a bicycle may well be locked to a post by means of the presentinvention. The locking device is preferably made primarily of lightmetal, such as magnesium, thereby making it even easier to handle.Because of its low weight, it may also even be put in the glovecompartment of some cars. Its low weight and modest dimensions, make fora more extended use of the locking device as a "wheel clamp" in cases ofparking offences.

I claim:
 1. A locking device (1), especially suitable for clamping ontoa wheel having an outer edge and a wheel axis, the wheel beingoperatively coupled to a vehicle, the locking device (1) comprising agenerally elongate lock case (2) having a longitudinal axis andcomprising an inner member (8) and an outer hollow member (7), saidinner member (8) being connected to a first grip claw and said outermember (7) being connected to a second grip claw (3), which grip claws(3,4) are designed to grip from opposite sides at least partly aroundthe outer edge of the wheel, the lock case (2) being adapted to lieessentially parallel to the axis of the wheel, said first grip claw (4)being slideably received in the lock case (2), a toothed bar (11) beingprovided in said lock case (2), said toothed bar (11) being connected atone end to the second grip claw (3), said toothed bar (11) engaging witha check pawl (14) when the locking device (1) is in a locked state, saidcheck pawl (14) being operatively connected to the first grip claw (4),the inner member (8) being capable of being turned relative to the outermember (7) about an axis essentially parallel to the longitudinal axisof the lock case (2), whereby the first grip claw (4) can be swungoutward sideways relative to the second grip claw (3) to facilitateplacing the locking device on the wheel, and a tension spring (17), saidspring (17) having a first end and a second end, said first end beingoperatively connected to a closed end of the outer member (7) and thesecond end being operatively connected to a closed end of the innermember (8), said spring (17) having a longitudinal axis between thefirst and second ends substantially perpendicular to the closed end ofthe outer member (7) and to the closed end of the inner member (8).
 2. Alocking device as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the inner member (8) ishollow in order to provide space for the toothed bar (11), and the checkpawl (14).
 3. A locking device as disclosed in claim 1, wherein thecheck pawl (14) is operatively connected to a locking bar (15), thelocking bar (15) extending from a lock cylinder (16), the lock cylinder(16) being mounted in the closed end of either the outer member (7) orthe inner member (8).
 4. A locking device as disclosed in claim 1,wherein the check pawl (14) is pivotally connected to the inner member(8).
 5. A locking device as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the outermember (7) has a substantially cylindrical bore (9) and the inner member(8) has a substantially cylindrical exterior, said cylindrical exteriorbeing concentric with the bore (9) of the outer member (7), and thetoothed bar (11) is placed along a common centre axis (12) of the outermember (7) and the inner member (8).
 6. A locking device as disclosed inclaim 1, wherein an end of the inner member (8) opposite the closed endis equipped with a cap (19), the check pawl (14) is pivotally affixed toan inside of the cap (19), the check pawl (14) is equipped with a hole(18) through which hole (18) the locking bar (15) extends, and the hole(18) in the check pawl (14) and the locking bar (15) are designed in acomplementary fashion so that turning the locking bar (15) causes thecheck pawl (14) to move in and out of engagement with the toothed bar(11).
 7. A locking device as disclosed in claim 6, wherein the lockingbar (15) extends into a recess (22,23) in the cap (19), said recess(22,23) being adapted for guiding the locking bar (15).
 8. A lockingdevice as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the spring (17) at the secondend is connected to an inside of the closed end of the inner member (8)and at the first end is connected to an inside of the closed end of theouter member (7).
 9. A locking device as disclosed in claim 1, whereinthe first grip claw (4) is equipped with at least one stop member at aconnection between the first grip claw (4) and the inner member (8),said stop member engaging with a free end of the outer member (7) whenthe first grip claw (4) is swung out sideways.